COLUMBIA – Hillcrest’s Tyler Hooker wasn’t about to let himself forget. A few hours after the Rams lost to Wando in last year’s Class AAAA state championship game, upon returning home, Hooker found a pen and a piece of paper and wrote on it, “We lost to Wando,” and taped it on the wall of his bedroom. “I see it every night before I go to sleep,” Hooker said this morning, almost a year later and about 12 hours after Hillcrest had wrapped up another Upper State title. The Rams did so in epic fashion Monday night, overcoming an equally game Wade Hampton team, 80-76, in double overtime at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Hillcrest (26-2) will play Sumter (19-6) in the state final at 8:30 p.m. Friday at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia after what Rams senior forward Jalen Tatum called “the craziest game I’ve been a part of.” “Double overtime, number one and number two teams in the state, it was crazy. One for the record books,” Tatum said. Then, thinking about the crowd that had gathered to watch the Greenville County showdown, he laughed and added, “It was worth their $10.” “It was really mind-blowing,” said Rams senior guard Uriah Morris. Yet, it was somewhat expected. Hillcrest, with most of its team back from that difficult state championship game defeat, came into the season ranked third, climbed to No. 1 early and never left. Wade Hampton entered the season unranked but quickly established itself as a contender ⁬with a talented, veteran lineup and eventually rose to No. 2. Then the teams steered toward one another. Hooker, the Rams’ all-state senior guard, saw that piece of paper every night, “a self-reminder to go hard every day,” he said. “They were just very determined all season, just kind of a quiet confidence,” Hillcrest coach Reggie Choplin said. “Every huddle we say, ‘One goal,’ ” said senior Randall Shaw, the Rams’ other all-state guard. “That loss to Wando last year in the state championship, it drives you to the end of the game.” Down 64-63 with two minutes left against Spring Valley in the third r...

Derrick Lewis The UFC’s return to New Orleans will feature a few more native Louisianans, with heavyweight Derrick Lewis (12-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) vs. Shawn Jordan (17-6 MMA, 5-3 UFC) and welterweights Brian Ebersole (51-16 MMA, 5-2 UFC) vs. Alan Jouban (11-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC). UFC officials today confirmed the matchups after an initial report from NOLA.com. “The Beast” Lewis and “The Savage” Jordan serves as a rematch of a June 2010 contest that took place in Lafayette, La. Jordan took home a decision win in that meeting. Lewis is 3-1 in his UFC run so far, most recently downing Ruan Potts in the second round at this past weekend’s UFC 184 event. Meanwhile, Jordan is 5-3 in his octagon career, currently boasting back-to-back wins over Jared Cannonier and Jack May. At 34 years old, “Bad Boy” Ebersole has been competing professionally for 15 years. He returns to action for the first time since a September 2014 win over John Howard. The Illinois native now faces “Brahma” Jouban who is 4-1 in his past five overall contests, losing only in highly controversial fashion to Warlley Alves this past November. With the additions to the card, UFC Fight Night 68 now includes: Ryan Bader vs. Daniel Cormier Tim Boetsch vs. Dan Henderson Matt Mitrione vs. Ben Rothwell Derrick Lewis vs. Shawn Jordan Brian Ebersole vs. Alan Jouban For more on UFC Fight Night 68, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site. Filed under: News, UFC

Beach breaks and brotherly love will be the only things on your mind after a quick spin on The Foamside. The mint green rims and black frame make for a retro color combo that you won’t be able to get enough of.

Lexus has unveiled this new concept car at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. It’s called the “LF-SA”, and it’s a minicar that hints at just one potential future direction for the Japanese automaker. The idea for the concept came about after Lexus celebrated its 25th anniversary a year ago and decided that it needed to explore...

Be a trailblazer in this traditional yet trendy layer. The best part? You can throw it in a duffel bag cause it's built to withstand traveling without needing dry cleaning, steaming or maintenance. Boom.